Frequently Asked Questions & Answers

How long have you been in business?

Hoops Preschool opened its doors to the community of Porterville on

April 3, 2006.

What days and hours are you open?

Hoops is open Monday through Friday, 7 am to 6 pm. We ask that the children are dropped off no later than 8:00 am and picked up no later than 6:00pm. We are open year round with only 11 holidays, 1 professional development day, and 2 half days. We also offer parents several perks each year including Date Night and Shopping Days. Click here to see our Calendar page.

How many children are enrolled and how old are they?

Hoops PreSchool has a maximum capacity of 120 students. We take students from the age of 2 years old until they go to kindergarten or turn 6 years old.

Can children attend part time?

When Hoops opened we enrolled both full time and part time, after the first year we noticed a large difference in the cognitive and social growth of the students who attended on a part time basis compared to those who attended full time. Regular participation at Hoops preschool is beneficial to the students who attend. We have a standard based curriculum which more than prepares our students who attend regularly. Although we would like to enroll full time only we do take some part time students. Part time enrollment is three full days a week. Days are chosen at the time of registration and cannot be substituted or changed.

What are your child to staff ratios and group sizes?

The State of California allows us to have 12 students for each teacher. At Hoops PreSchool we feel that the children benefit from a smaller class size, which allows the teachers to spend more one-on-one time with each student. Our classes are grouped in to Freshman, Sophomores, Juniors, and Seniors.

What qualifications do your teachers have?

All of our teachers are required to have a minimum of 12 child development units. Most of our teachers have either their associate’s degree or their bachelor’s degree. The entire staff at Hoops PreSchool is CPR and First Aid certified.

Do you offer any special instruction or activities?

Everything we teach here at Hoops is special to us and to the families we serve. We not only teach the basics that each child needs to learn for school, but we also teach social skills and spiritual lessons. We offer computer programs to our older students, music and movement to all our students, science, and have special guests from the community throughout the year. Click here to see our awesome perks.

Do you have parent/teacher conferences?

We encourage our parents to be active and involved in their children’s education. We only have parent teacher conferences upon request, but we do have open house at the beginning of each school year, our teachers call each parent twice a year to talk one on one about their child, and we send home weekly/daily reports to let parents know what is going on with their child.

Are you affiliated with a church?

We are not affiliated with a specific church, however we are a faith based preschool. We use a non denominational curriculum which teaches morals, values, and helps to promote love and trust in God. We focus on a different bible story each week and a bible verse and concept each month. We use these to teach our children to make good choices and show them how to live a Christian life.

How do parents participate in your program?

We provide many opportunities for our parents to become involved with Hoops PreSchool. We have a PTO which puts on a festival every fall, Olympics in May, luncheons in November, family game nights every other month, science days, guest speakers, picnics, and many more fantastic opportunities in which our parents are welcome to join us.

What are your rooms like?

Hoops PreSchool has 5 classrooms. Each room teaches a different subject. The Nemo room is our math room, Winnie the Pooh is the reading, writing, and religion room, Mickey Mouse is the arts and drama room, and the gym is separated into Gym 1 and Gym 2. Gym 1 is used for indoor P.E. while Gym 2 is used for snack and lunch. The students rotate classrooms with their classmates and teacher every 45 minutes. While in each room they do two 20 minute centers each day. By the end of the day each student will have visited each room.

Do you have a playground?

Yes. Hoops has a wonderful playground. We use our playground for outdoor P.E. and free play. We have a large play structure which we recently purchased a canopy for to provide shade, push cars and tricycles, a sand box, basketball hoop, swings, play houses, and much, much more!!! The playground is fenced in on all sides and has an access gate to the park. Teachers will occasionally go to the park for nature walks, lunch, or to play in the shade.

Do the children ever go on field trips?

We do not go on field trips other than our nature walks or play time over at the park.

How do you handle discipline and guidance?

We encourage children to use their manners and be respectful of others. If necessary we use time-outs, redirection, office visits, and in extreme cases we call home. Every student receives a behavior report weekly in which the teacher will describe the positives for the week and if applicable what the child needs to work on.

How much do you charge?

Hoops PreSchool charges on a monthly basis. We accept both potty trained and not potty trained. If two or more children are enrolled from the same family we give a 10% discount to the oldest child. Click here to view our Tuition page.

Does enrollment continue from year to year?

Once registered children will remain registered until they graduate, are pulled out, or tuition is no longer being paid. We require a two week notice before withdrawal. We do not hold spots for children who withdrawal for the summer or any other lengthy occasion. We do not credit for holidays, sick days, or vacations.

When do children change classes?

Our new school year begins mid August. We begin moving students up to the next level at the beginning of the summer based on their age and openings with their new teachers. Registration can take place anytime throughout the year. If there is no current opening for your age group you will be placed on a waiting list until a spot becomes available. All students are moved up to their new class by the 1st of September.

Can I come in for a tour?

We welcome in any family who wishes to come in for a tour of our preschool. We are open Monday through Friday and can give you a tour anytime before 11:30 am and after 2:00 pm. We try not to tour during naptime in an effort not to disturb our sleeping Hoopsters.

Where are you located?

We are located at 265 W. Henderson Ave in Porterville, Ca. You can email us at hoopspreschool@live.com or call us at (559) 78-HOOPS.

What is your policy on sick children?

We follow the state guidelines for illnesses. Any child who may be contagious or is not well enough to participate will be sent home for the well being of themselves and the other students.

What meals do you provide?

We provide a morning and an afternoon snack. Lunches are provided by the parents and can be heated on site. If special food products are needed it is the responsibility of the parent to provide them.

How do you enroll new children?

We take applications throughout the year. The application/registration fee is $50. We enroll on a first come first serve basis. If there is an opening at the time the registration packet is returned we will enroll immediately. If there is a waiting list we will place the student at the top of the list first and work our way through it. Before any student can start attending Hoops PreSchool the parent needs to attend an orientation with the office staff.